Apparatus for delivering articles to aircraft



arch 2 1926.

F. F. BRADSHAW APPARATUS FOR DELIVERING ARTICLES T0 AIRCRAFT Filed D30. 2'7, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 2,1925. 1,575,145

F. F BRADSHAW APPARATUS FOR DELIVERING ARTICLES TO AIRCRAFT Filed Dec. 27, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 wkliws: I I 7M5 J? W 6 WW fizffvma Patented ill liar. 2, ildZd.

pairs, stares tartar KEANE E. 1 511 SW, 024 YAZOQ CITY; MISSISSHPEI.

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Application filed December 527, 1920. Serial Ho. 33,463.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that l, FRANK F. BRADSHAW, a citizen of the United States, residing at Yazoo City, in the county of Yazoo and State of Mississippi, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Delivering Articles to Aircraft, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in apparatus for delivering articles to aircratts.

It is particularly adapted for delivering mail pouches to flying machines.

l he object of my invention is to provide a novel apparatus of the kind described which is cheap to construct, which is strong and durable andnot liable to get out of order, which is eficient in operation, and which can be operated without danger to those on the aircraft or on the ground ad.- jacent to the a paratus.

lhe novel i datures of my invention are hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the preferred embodiment of my invention,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my 1mproved apparatus. Fig. 2 is an enlarged top view or a portion of he apparatus. I Fig. 3 is a view artlyin side elevation and partly in vertical section of what is shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4- is a top view of the article carrying device shown in solid lines in the open position and shown in dotted lines in the closed or gripping position.

5 is front elevation of the rope operated detent which holds the jaws of the gripping device in the e; on position.

Similar reference 0.. aracters designate similar parts in the difierent views.

1 designates mail bag adapted to rest.

upon a suitable snpp form shown, two Lior hers 52, which are spaced it and have di- 3 receiving ends ween which is trailing device, such as which depends from an EGOIHPIISILD the al paral el menn embers 2 are mounted near their portions upon two transverse horithe members 2 and into operative relationship to an article carrying device comprising, preferably the following described parts.

Two jaws 8 are disposed one above the other and are provided at their rear ends and inner edges with projections 9. Mounted between the jaws 8 is a jaw 10 having atits rear end and inner edge a projection 11. lhe jaws 8 and 10 are pivoted on a vertical pin 12. For normally forcing the jaws 8 and 10 to the closed gripping posi tion, I provide a coil spring 13 the on which are respectively secured to the forward ends of the jaws 8 and 10,, the tension of the spring 13 being such as will tend to close the rear ends of the jaws. Connected at its ends to the forward ortionsof the jaws 8 and the jaw 10 is a enible member t3 which may be elastic, if desired to reduce shock, and to which the mail pouch l is adapted to be attached by a strap 14..

For releasably holding the jaws open, as shown in Fig. 2 and in solid lines inhig. d, I provide a detent member 15-, which may be cylindrical and which has on its under side a projection 16 ado ted to be fitted in two notches 16 provide respectively in the inner edges 01" the members 8 and 10. Teeth 17 may be provided onthe upper side of the member 15, so that the latter may be readily engaged with the cable or rope 8, so that the detent will be tipped by the rope out of locking engagement with the jaws 8 and it). this occurs, the spring 13 will close 21h L 8 and 10 upon the rope 3 so the later is irnly gripped by the jaws. The air craft in passing forwardly, that is the left, as viewed in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, will,

through the intermediaey of the cable 1 carry tne article carrying device oft from its support and with it the mail bag or pouch 1, the weight of the latter tending to make the jaws8 and 10 tightly grip the rope or cable 3. The projections 9 and 11 prevent thevrope or cable being pulled from between the jaws 8 and 10 at-the rear ends thereof.

For iding the rope or cable 3 to and between t e diverging ends of the members 2,

I provide two forwardly and, preferably,

downwardly inclined converging gulding members 18, the forward or lower ends of which are respectively attached to the rear ends and inner edges of the diverging portions of the members 2. The rear or upper ends of the guiding members 18 are respectively attached to the upper inner ends of the members 19, the "latter being spaced widely apart and inclining upwardly and inwardly. Each member 19 is mounted adjacent to its outer end upon two vertical osils 20, the inner one of which. is the er.v o plrevent liability of the rope being fouled y the supporting posts, the members 19, 4 and 6 overhang at their inner ends.

In operating the invention, the air craft takes a line of travel to the left, as viewed in Fig. 1, such that the rope 3 will'be trailed.

between the inner ends of the members 19 and between the members 18. The latter will guide the rope or cable between the diverging ends of the-members 2 and into contact with, the upwardly extending teeth 17 of the detent 15. The latter will be i v tilted by the rope or cable to a position in which the projections 16 will be withdrawn from the notches 16, thus permitting the spring 13 to close the jaws 8 and 10. The

- said aws will grip the ro e 'or cable 3. The forward-movement of t e aircraft will "cause the rope or cable to lift the article 14 may, if desired, be resilient so as to re- 'duce the shock occasioned by the lifting of the mail pouch.

After the rope has operatively engaged the article carrying device, the rope may be drawn. upwardly, so that the mail pouch 7 and article carrying device can be taken on board the aircraft.

' By having the inclined members 19 spaced widely a art and their inner ends .at a relatively high elevation, the operator of the aircraft will. experience no ditficulty in manipulating the aircraft so that the rope or cable 3 will be-reliably guided into .oper- J ative relationship with the detent 15. It will. be noted that the jaw 10 is mounted between the ends of the jaws- 8, vand that the projection 11 will enter between the two projections '9 of the jaws 8. By means of this construction, .the gripping device com- .prising the jaws 8 and 10 will grip and se-- curely hold a'trailing device, such as a rope jor cable, which is. of uniform diameter awaits ground. Liability of accident or injury or damage to the aircraft, due to such fouling of the trailing rope or cable, is avoided.

I ,do not limit my invention to the struc-,

ture shown and described, as manymodifications, within the see ev of the appended claims, may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim ls:-

1. In an apparatus of the kind described,

an article carrying device having means for gripping a flexible trailing device or cable,

and movable from an open position to a closed gripping position and having means by which the weight of the article carried tends to force the gripping means to the closed position, and means releasable by said trailing device for holding the gripping means inthe open position, substantially as set forth.

2. In an apparatus of the kind described, an article carryin device having two gripping jaws adaptef to grip a flexlble trailing device or cable, means by which the weight .of the article carried tends to close thejaws,

and means releasable by the trailing device for holding the jaws open, substantially as set forth.

3. In an apparatus of the kind described,

an article carrying device having two gripping jaws adapted to grip a flexible trailing device or cable, means by which the weight of the articlecarried tends to close the jaws,

means for normally forcing the jaws to the closed position, and means releasable by said trailing device for holding the jaws open, substantially as set forth. a

.4. In an apparatus of the kind described, an article carrying device having two gripping jaws adapted to grip a flexible trailing dBVlCQ or cable, means by which the weight of the article carried tends to close the jaws,

means releasable by the trailing device for holding the jaws open, and means for guiding the trailing device into operative relagonship with said jaws, substantially asset orth.

an article carrying device having two gripping jaws adapted to grip a flexible trailingdevice or cable, means by which the weight 5. In an apparatus of the kind dimmer,

of the article carried tends to close the jaws,

means for normally forcing the jaws to the closed position, means releasable by the trail ing device for holding the jaws open, and means for guiding the trailing device-into operative relationship with saidjaws substantially-as set forth.

6. Inan apparatus of the kind described,

an article carrying device having two P e j a i w pivoted o said .two'

jaws and in the closed position being adapted to enter between the said two 'aws, the outer ends of the jaws being provi ed respectively with inwardl extending projections 5 which are adapte to overlap each other in w the closed position, means for normally forcing the jaws to the closed gripping position, I 

